Plan your Work, Work
your Plan: How better organization leads to happier students and improved academic gains in reading and math.
A Presentation for Rivers Eve Elementary School - 10/24/2016
Presenter: Malcolm E. Anderson, Ph.D.
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Introduction
• Dr. Malcolm E. Anderson
• Ph.D. Counseling Psychology, Multicultural Counseling and Research
• Private Practice 20 years, (Individual, Family/Parenting, Couples/Marital Therapy and Communication)
• Licensed Psychologist in GA, September 2000
• Associate Professor Clinical Psychology
• High school lacrosse coach 20 years in Georgia
• Father (17 years), Husband (24 years).
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What Will We Learn Today?
• The relationship between organizational skill development and confidence.
• The relationship between confidence and success.
• The importance of consistency in predicting school success particularly in reading and math.
• The role of family development and structure to ensure consistent success in reading and math.
• The role of a family plan in maintaining these consistent successes.
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Organizational Skills
• Attention and concentration issues can be detected early in development.
• Distractibility and consequent anxiety compound the issue as the child experiences sleep disturbances which contribute to further inattention, poorer academic performance and parental/teacher anxiety.
• Early organizational strategies can minimize and, in many cases eliminate attention/concentration problems which often lead to difficulties in reading and math.
• Early organizational success leads to greater confidence and trust in the child’s independent work and success.
• Greater confidence leads to internal rewards and reduces fear of failure in new learning challenges.
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Organization=Focus=Success
• General Concepts to consider:
• Consistency of your Plan
• Disciplined Encouragement
• Enthusiasm and Monitoring
• Preparation and Repetition
• Prioritizing and Generalized Home Applications
• Age-appropriate adjustments
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“No one is born with great organizational skills …
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Math and Reading
• Fundamental learning tools that require daily practice.
• They require attention, concentration and memory skill development
• These skills can be cross developed simultaneously to enhance math and reading preparedness and progression
• They can also be family activities.
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Study Plan
• Develop a study plan for after school
• Include the homework from the folder
• Help with the organization of the folder
• Create calendars and lists to prioritize the homework
• Chunk the work into time frames, categories and practicality of workload.
• Review and look for mnemonic opportunities
• Take Breaks to Refresh and Restart so as to Recall and Refocus! This is important for the process of memory and attention. C
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Family Organizational Plan
• Mirror your family plan to your school organizational plan
• Provide tasks and chores for your children that will assist in organization, memory and attention
• Sorting, categorizing, reorganizing, counting, reading instructions.
• Premack Tasks and rewards
• Be a consistently involved parent in your monitoring, practice, and enthusiastic reward.
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Organizational skills are learned and practiced daily
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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
6:00 Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP
7:30 Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake UP Wake up
8:00 Wake up Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast
8:30 Breakfast Prepare/Review Prepare/Review Prepare/Review Prepare/Review Prepare/Review Free Time
9:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Free Time
10:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Free Time
10:30 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Reading Work
11:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Review Math
11:30 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Chores and Tasks
12:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Chores and Tasks
12:30 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Lunch Time
1:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Lunch Time
1:30 Lunch Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Free Time
2:00 Free Time School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours School Hours Free Time
2:30 Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time
3:00 Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Free Time Free Time
3:30 Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Reading Work Free Time Free Time
4:00 Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time
4:30 Review Math Review Math Review Math Review Math Review Math Free Time Free Time
5:00 Review Math Review Math Review Math Review Math Review Math Free Time Free Time
5:30 Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time
6:00 Dinner Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time Free Time
6:30 Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner
7:00 Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner
7:30 Family Time Computer Time Computer Time Computer Time Computer Time Computer Time Dinner
8:00 Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time
8:30 Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time Family Time
9:00 Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual Bed time Ritual
9:30 Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep
10:00 Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep
Organizational Study Grid
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References
• Websites of interest• KidsHealth.org
• Scholastic.com
• FamilyEducation.com
• Books• Positive Parenting in Action, Laura Ling and Rebecca Eanes
• Positive Parenting: The essential guide, Rebecca Eanes
• Positive Parenting with a Plan, Matthew Johnson, Psy.D.
• Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell (2005).
Malcolm E. Anderson, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist3355 Medlock Bridge Road, Norcross, GA 30092
(770) 582-0532
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